Recently in Stress Management Category

As we head from summer toward the cooler days of fall- I can feel it in the air already, I bet you can, too- I am reminded of how a change in season often brings about a change in mindset. Fall tends to be about winding down, getting ready to go to sleep and wait out the winter.

Now is the perfect time to consider how each of us might need to slow down in our lives, as well. What could you change or eliminate altogether to make your life less hectic? Is there anything you think that you need to do or have that maybe you really don't? Sometimes re-evaluating your priorities is what it takes to determine what really matters and what you can let go of.

So in the spirit of trying to help you find some time to contemplate and enjoy life more, below are some tips you can use now to start getting slow:

- Leave your watch or cell phone out of reach. Turn off the ringer and take your eyes off the screen for a bit.

- Check non-work email only twice a day, and give Facebook or Twitter a break.

- Take the scenic route on travel trips-as long as it doesn't waste gas!

- Light candles before you start to cook dinner, and eat by candlelight sometimes.

- Make up rituals, either on your own or with your family and friends.

- Say a silent word of thanks and make eye contact with people at the table before you start eating.

- Let the phone ring several times before answering, or don't answer it all.

- Make a handmade present for a friend, or do something with them as a gift.

- Set aside one night a week all for yourself, or even just a few hours. Don't let anyone intrude and don't feel guilty about it.

- Spend as much time outdoors in nature as you possibly can. Sunshine and some fresh air are good for you!

- Pay attention to cycles of the moon and the shifting seasons. Notice your moods and feelings as they change, and realize any connections.

- Sit for a moment with your eyes closed before you start or get on your computer. Breath quietly for a bit. 

- Take a few moments before you climb out of bed in the morning to remember your dreams and think about what you want from the day. Put a positive impression in your mind, and believe you can handle whatever comes.

- Factor in an additional 25% every time you estimate how long something will take.

- Always jump at the chance to play with a child or a pet.

- Never pack your schedule so that there's no room for a short walk or meal times.

- Take a left where you generally take a right. And most of all, enjoy the ride!



Adapted from an article by Marco Visscher and Jay Walljasper. Ode Magazine, Issue #15.

When you think about stress, do you picture someone working long hours at a less than fulfilling job, experiencing financial hardships, or overburdened by too many errands and seemingly pointless tasks? Do you imagine relationships with friends and family suffering, as well as having no time for some genuine peace and quiet time alone? Are you among the millions of Americans, including myself, who have been that stressed out person?

The other side of the coin is that today we lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles in this country. Not only do many of us sit all day at a desk job, we come home and browse the Internet, watch television, read Kindle ebooks, play games on our smartphones, talk, text, tweet, and basically spend more time sitting than any other culture at any other time in human history. So if we are able to find all that time to sit and interact with technology (presumably for reasons like fun, communication, and relaxation), how can we still be suffering from stress and it's effects?

One source of the problem lies with basic inactivity. Though we feel stimulated, engaged and involved when following friends on Facebook, playing in an online gaming tournament, or watching Dancing With the Stars, we are not actually doing anything at those times, nothing physical anyway. Our minds and emotions may be occupied, but our bodies are missing out on the fun. Instead, they sit idly by while the nutrition and calories from dinner go unused.

By eating a large, heavy meal at dinner, we are really trying to make up for unhealthy and insufficient meals earlier in the day. Then we end up tired out even more, making a trip to the gym or going for a walk seem even less appealing (but which would be the best things to really help relieve daily stress).

The other side of the problem is food and poor eating habits. A day of not eating breakfast, followed by too much sugar and caffeine, then little to no lunch, followed by more sugar and caffeine, topped off with a large, heavy dinner at the end of the day sets up a cycle that leaves us mentally and physically fatigued.

We also feed our emotional stresses with comfort foods, sweets and junk food that might satisfy us temporarily, but wind up contributing to the weight-gain and lack of energy that make us both stressed out and sedentary. It's a vicious cycle that can feel difficult, if not impossible, for people to escape.

The current recession is definitely leaving people overworked and overwhelmed. Ironically, it's the perceived cost of exercising and eating healthy that is driving more people to cut exercise and healthy eating out of their daily routines.  In a study conducted by Cambridge University, participants reported feeling they could not afford the added expenses of  gym memberships and super-foods, and said they found it hard to take care of themselves due to increasingly busy schedules.

Other research studies have demonstrated the physical link between stress and sedentary lifestyles. One such study, published in the journal Obesity Research, measured the activity levels of 25 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 12 over a period of two days: once after they engaged in a non-stressful activity, and the other after giving a videotaped speech. The children were then divided into groups based on how much their heart rate changed in response to being stressed and how stressed they felt themselves to be.

After the tests, the children were offered the choice of being paid to exercise for progressively longer periods of time, or either watching TV or playing video games. Researchers found that children whose heart rates reacted to stress exercised less on the stressful day than they did on the non-stressful day.

More research is needed into the role mental, emotional and even spiritual factors play in a stressful and yet sedentary life. In my work with clients, what I have found is that these things contribute equally alongside lack of physical activity and poor food choices and eating habits. Taking a break from technology, and actually engaging with other people in person and getting physically out into the world can benefit and satisfy us on every level.

So next time you have the choice to sit and watch "American Idol" or take a walk after dinner, make the healthier choice, either by yourself or with friends and family. Try it just once a week, and see what can happen when you break your routine and move in a positive, healthy direction. Trust me, "Idol" can still be there on the DVR when you get home.